Tuesday, March 08, 2011

IT is most unfortunate that the language most commonly used (next to Chinese Mandarin) internationally and virtually, English, is a patriarchal language. May iba't ibang diskurso kung bakit pabor sa pangingibabaw ng kalalakihan ang Ingles. Perhaps, however, the single most convincing proof is the word "MANKIND."

The etymology of the the first root word, "man," is arguably traceable to the Sanskrit word "manu" that means human or 'thinking creature,' which should supposedly indicate the gender neutrality of "mankind." However, the fact is that "man" has come to refer to an adult human male (and "woman," its opposite female), with the original neutral term/meaning having been replaced by other terms such as "person.'http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mann#Old_English

For today's observance of International Women's Day, it should perhaps be fitting if English-language users become more conscious of using non-sexist words and pronouns when referring to humankind or to people in general. Let us say "s/he" instead of "he" when referring to an unspecified individual of either sex. Let us write "people," instead of "men," when referring to human beings in general. Let us type "human" instead of "man" when referring to an unspecified person of either sex. Let us utter "humankind" instead of "mankind" when referring to the collective race of homo sapiens. Let us use "s/he," "people," "human," and "humankind" when referring to either woman or man in order to help stop the sexism in language, or the sexist use of English.

By consciously using the available neutral or more neutral words in English, we can help effect a world that is more gender-egalitarian and, thus, less unpleasant in humanitarian terms.

Using non-sexist language is, of course, politically correct. Moreover, it is LESS biologically incorrect. Using male words as the default when referring to people in general is actually antithetical to human biology. It should be noted that FEMALE is the default in humans--as reflected in the double in "XX" chromosome of females (a defective/non-present Y chromosome automatically leads to a female human embryo). http://www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/~pineda/COGS17/Overheads/Sex.ppt

Thus, if we even want to be just a wee bit scientific and true to human nature, sexist, patriarchal words should be out and word choice be more neutral.

*Note, however, that because of Spanish influence re gendering of personal nouns, male citizens of the Philippines are referred to as Filipinos (Pilipino) and the females, Filipinas (Pilipinas), with the former being the default. Note further, though, that our country name was given by Spain.

hi anonymous. i think i already addressed your point with paragraph 2:

"The etymology of the the first root word, "man," is arguably traceable to the Sanskrit word "manu" that means human or 'thinking creature,' which should supposedly indicate the gender neutrality of "mankind." However, the fact is that "man" has come to refer to an adult human male (and "woman," its opposite female), with the original neutral term/meaning having been replaced by other terms such as "person.'"